Unnaturally Normal
by PinkCottonCandyCane
Summary: Winry is the new student at Flamel academy. She's already used to being cast out of society, but being brought into a enviornment full of people like her is a completely new challenge. EdxWinry and other pairings
1. New Student

**This is my first story that is non-canon related (I'm screaming on the inside! :D) so give me a little bit of mercy, please. All of the characters have 'abilites.' I'm not going to say what kind, cause you've gotta read the story first! And I promise not all of my chapters will haveLol, R&R**  
**Okay, warning for entire story: it's in Winry's POV.**  
**Warning for chapter one and so on: it's based on modern-day high school, so if your expecting this cellphoneless/MP3less/laptopless/matching-exact-ch aracter-description story, you've come to the wrong place.**  
**Disclaimer: If I owned FMA, do you really think I'd be writing fanfiction?**

* * *

**_Chapter I: New Student_**

* * *

The nervousness that boils in my core is unbearable, making me sick and naesus. I puked twice this morning, but I refused to tell Gran. I'm going to have to face this at one point or another. It might as well be now. Hell, I just want to get this over with to see if I can't convince Gran if she can homeschool me so I can live under a rock for the rest of my life.

And trust me, I've got the time. I'm only sixteen, I have the time it takes to ruin my life. I thought my life was over when I discovered my 'ability.'

But here I am, back on my feet. Walking to school with my head down, my bag resting on my shoulder. On foot, I should make it there within an hour. I've been walking for around ten... twenty mintues? Oh shit, I forgot.

It's just that there's so many things that could happen to turn my life into a living hell today. For example: I could get embarressed, I could puke again in front of the whole class, I could have to sit next to a bunch of assholes, I could get bullied, I could feel like a five-year-old when the 'star student' tries to tell me where classrooms are or some other stupid thing, I could get hit by a bus...

"Damn it, stay focused Winry," I mumur.

Gran said that she'll be shipping my things to the academy later on today, and they'll arrive at sometime today... But I'll be able to go home, of course. That's another thing to worry about: a room-mate. They could be a lesbian, not that I have anything against lesbians; it'd just be really, really awkward. Or she could be a total bitch, or she could be one of those super annoying people who get off topic really easily like I am right now...

If Gran had only let me bring my MP3, I wouldn't be suffering extreme-nervousness-symtoms right now. Well, I would, but not as badly.

Turn at the stop sign, and walk down the street until you come up to the big gate.

I'm kind of glad that no other students are walking to school, it makes me feel a bit more secure knowing no one's watching me as I walk up to the damn place. I guess every student is already on campus.

I look up to find the giant gate is right in front of me, further down the street. I run up to the gate, looking for some sign of a guard. But I find no such evidence. There's a strange beeping noise, and I look to the far side of the rusted old, somewhat elegant gate.

An old cable box sits untouched, gray with dust and looking loose from months, maybe years of unuse.

As I walk towards the odd, beeping box, I wonder if I turned down the wrong street. I open the loose box with two fingers, terrified to find a spider or something behind the lid.

But rather than some carnivorous spider, I find a strange key-hole, letting off a strange hum, as if awaiting it's purpose.

My eyes widen with recogniton as my hand instantly reaches down into my pocket, clutching onto the object. I pull it it out of my pocket, staring at the odd keychain Gran had given me. It had a strange key on it, a cross with a snake coiling around it, with a crown and two wings slightly above it. It's a strange symbol, but think Gran said it was the flamel symbol.

I push the key into the lock with my thumb, watching it mold in perfectly.

My heart skips a beat as a loud squeal of metal erupts from the gate. I yank the chain from the box and take a few steps back, watching as the gate opens. I realize it's just a huge, huge lawn of grass on the inside of the gate, walking past the gates.

A force hits me and my ears pop, and suddenly, as if by magic, the lawn morphs into something far more advanced. A large academy.

Students sit on the law on blankets, laughing and playfully nudging eachother. Some are huddled beneath trees, reading books. One skates down the sidewalk on rollerblades, her friend racing after her on foot and laughing when she almost stumbles.

Suddenly, I feel as if I'm a fish out of water.

I look back over my shoulder, and my heart sinks when I find the gate has already shut. Yeah, of course you were going to turn around and run away, Winry. I mentally scold myself.

I hold my head even lower, letting my bangs fall over my eye slightly, hoping to block out the world as I walk up the sidewalk, towards the magnificent academy.

Oh, how I wish I had my MP3 now...

I flinch as the girl on rollerblades glides past me, making my hair fan back a bit from the wind. I glance up at the academy, like a small student staring up at a large bully.

* * *

I walk through the hallway behind the principal, my arms crossed over my body.

I had to stay in the school office for two hours while they got my scheduele set up and the paperwork filed and my information set up on the computer.

Luckily, the only person who I've actually talked to from the academy is the principal and the nice office assisstant, Mrs. Hughes. Mrs. Izumi Curtis leads me through the large halls of the school, her head held high.

I'd never thought I'd see a principal with microbraids. But now I have.

She wears a white, button-down shirt, with black jeans and black shoes. She seems nice upon first meeting, I note. But I can tell she is not to be tested.

I've never felt so cast out. I'm wearing a pair of jeans tucked into black boots. I wore a blue and white striped, v-necked shirt with selves that come a little past my elbows. The v-neck has two buttons next to it, as if to make it look prepy. My hair falls to my waist, my bangs brushed neatly to the side.

God, I feel like such an insecure virgin...

Mrs. Curtis comes to a stop, turning on her heel to face me. She holds out a small card that contains my dorm number; Mrs. Hughes had given me my scheduele the second I had entered the office. "Dormitories are on the far side of the school," She instructs. She then gives a slight nod with her head before heading off down the hallway, back the way we came.

I suddenly feel as if I'm staring back up at that gate. I could turn away or go through with it and take a risk. But I chose to walk forward. If I've come this far, why the hell should I stop now?

I give the door a light tap before turning the silver knob.

The teacher pauses in the middle of her lesson, looking over at me as I peer into the glass room. All of the students look up, some from the lesson, some from their papers they were most likely doodling on.

"Uh..."

The teacher's face brightens with a smile. "You must be the new student! Winry Rockbell, correct?"

Oh, now I feel like a fish out of water.

"My name is Mrs. Bradley!"

I would love to say something, but all I can do is nod my head slightly as I close the door behind me.

"Okay, you can take a seat..." Oh god, here it comes. Come on, place me infront of some suicidal bitch and some crack attic... "Right next to Edward, right on the end of the top row."

I don't care to look for the person, considering I don't think Edward would have 'I'M EDWARD' stamped on his forehead in bright, bold red letters. When I make it to the top of the row, the teacher has already started back up with her lesson, and, thankfully, nearly all of the students have tuned me out. I take my seat, and then I instantly see a pair of beautiful, irregular golden eyes gazing over at me with a welcoming smile.

He has tanned skin, and golden hair pulled back in a ponytail. And that smile... I think he may be the sexiest boy I've ever seen...

What the hell am I thinking?! Damn it! What the hell is wrong with me?!

I can't even imagine the blush that covers my cheeks. But his smile doesn't vanish, and I distract myself with pulling my binder from my bag. When it's on my desk, I dare to glance to the side, only to find he's studying me intently.

Although the blood red blush stays on my face, for the entire class period, I think I could go through this school year without blushing beet red as long as no one that sexy smiles at me like that for the rest of the year, no, for the rest of my life.

I won't be suprised if I have permenant blush marks.

* * *

I sit down at an empty lunch table in the far corner. I look around the room.

No teachers sit in the lunchroom, they must all go to the lounge or something. But there are dozens of kids sitting at different tables.

I notice one particularly outlandish group; full of people wearing reativley dark colors. But they aren't goth, I can tell that much. One with long strands of green hair wears a black vest over a white button-down shirts and black jeans. The only girl, as far as I can tell and if the green-haired one isn't male, at the table wears a black tanktop and black shorts. Her long black hair cascades down her back in waves, a red lipstick contrasting with her pale skin tone. Another one wears a leather jacket and black jeans, with black boots. He seems to have busied himself with talking to girls.

I'm still pondering over the group when I hear a voice pipe up next to me.

"Those are the Homonculi, they call themselves that."

I look over to find a girl with long black hair pulled back in an extremely long braid. She has dark eyes that reflect the sunlight shining in through the high windows above me. I notice she wears a black and white jacket, which has a panda-theme to it. White jeans, a black tanktop, and black and white sneakers complete her look.

"Is it okay if I sit here?"

She balances her tray in one hand as she points at the seat next to me. After a moment of hesitation, I motion to the seat as an answer. She joyfully plops her tray down next to mine with a smile. "I'm May Chang, nice to meet you." She holds out her hand.

Her nails are painted a smooth black with a white flower in the center of each one.

I gratefully shake her hand. "Winry Rockbell."

"So," She says as she picks up her chopsticks. "What's your abi-"

She's cut off when another person sits down across the table. It's a teenage boy with long black hair pulled back in a low ponytail. The girl's laugh interupts my 'study.'

"Hiya, Ling." Perhaps noticing my lack of a reply, she reaches over and puts an arm around me and gives me a light squeeze. "This is Winry. Winry, this is my pain-in-the-ass brother, Ling."

He gives a large grin. "Nice to meet you. And I really appreaciate that sarcasm, sis." His expression turns dead serious. "Revenge is a hell."

I let out a laugh before I can stop myself, and he smiles at his accomplishment while May rolls her eyes, picking up a dumpling from her meal with her wooden chopsticks.

Another person sits down next to Ling, another girl. "Oh, hi Lan!" She has long black hair pulled up into a tight bun with two chopsticks placed neatly in it.

Am I attracting Asians today?

May leans over to me. "They're totally falling for eachother. And Ling always starts acting like a total dork when Lan is around, even dorkier than usual." I let out a small giggle at May's whisper. Meanwhile, Ling rubs the back of his neck sheepishly as Lan tosses a smile his way.

"Can I sit here?" A voice asks.

I instantly look over my shoulder.

And that's when I find myself staring into those golden eyes...

"Hm?"

I shake my head before mumbling out an answer. "Y-Yeah, sure."

Wait it go, Winry! You managed to get out two words without puking all over a sexy guy, good job!

My heart has sped up signifigantly by the time he's sat down next to me. "Hey, Ed." My eyes flicker to the opposite side of the table yet again. Another boy has sat at the table, on the opposite side of Ling. He has short hair with his bangs parted to the left. My eyes suddenly turn back from him to Edward.

Do I see a resemblance?

"Hi, you must be Winry," He reaches over the table. "I'm Al, Ed's younger brother."

Looks like I can still connect the dots when people nearly have the exact characteristics... I shake his hand, watching as he gives me a friendly smile. He holds that sweet, friendly smile, unlike his brother's that makes me feel like I'm high on life.

Is it even possible to get high on life? I need to research that, otherwise, I'm even weirder than I thought.

This is unnatural.

People shouldn't be trying to have converstations with me! Hell, they aren't even trying! They're talking to me and respecting that I don't feel like responsing. That's the best thing that has happened to me all day, other than Ed's smile...

Focus!

I notice May pull a slip of paper from under my tray. I reconize it as the card with my dorm number. "Fuck yeah!"

It's as if all falls silent at the table when she shouts out that statement. A bright blush brushes over her cheeks as she notices her effect on the small group that has formed around me. She squeezes her eyes shut for a moment before trying to focus on me. But the blush doesn't go away as easily as she had hoped.

"We've got the same dorm. Your my homie now!" She exclaims in a sarcastic voice before sending us into another round of giggles.

Maybe life at the academy won't be bore and solem...

* * *

"So, what've you figured out so far?" May asks as she sits cross-legged on her bed, sorting out my CD's for me. I let out a sigh as I close a drawer.

"Well, Riza Hawkeye is a prodigy in the category of kick ass, and I don't even know what the fuck is going on with that Garfiel guy in workshop."

May nods her head with her eyes closed, reaching into one of my many boxes to start with my electronics. "Amen. Riza is the embodiment of whoopass, and Mr. Garfiel is homosexual."

"I know, I know. And by Garfiel, I meant he keeps treating me like a fucking child. 'Okay Winry, what is this bolt called?' or 'Winry, dear, watch out, the drill gives back a lot of force.' God, I think I know how to work a damn drill."

May pauses, looking up from her activity. "Your saying you can actually hold one of those damn things? Without dropping it or feeling your brain rattle around in your skull or anything?" I can't help the laugh that leaves my lips.

"Yeah," I say.

"Is that your ability?" She asks with a cocked eyebrow.

I freeze entirely, putting my book down on my desk as I stop to hold my head. "N-No."

"Well, what'da you do? I mimic voices and I can scream really, really loud. It's pretty lame. But it's enough to get me sent here, ya know? So, Winry, what can you do?"

The question makes my head spin. I know the answer. I know what I do, I just don't know the full extent of it. "I-I can mov-ve things."

May gives me a look. "I can do that too," She picks up my headphones and sets them next to her.

"N-No, I can actually move t-things. Control the-em. Like, with my...," I feel like the air has quit cycling in my lungs. "M-mind."

I notice May has finally fallen silent. I can't help but feel it's from my weirdness, but then again, no one here is normal. Everyone has their own ability. Some stupider than others, some more dangerous, some more advanced.

A guy who spits acid, a girl who turns into a butterfly, a teacher who can calculate math outcomes in less than a second.

Everyone is different, they teach you that in school. But what if it isn't your fault? What if you were just born that way, and you have no idea how to fix it? That's when you get sent to Flamel Academy. So you can be with people like you.

So you can be unnatural and fit in.


	2. Setting A Routine

**Interesting fact: I listened to Bottoms Up throughout this whole chapter. A little string of the lyrics is featured in this chapter. Is that so wrong? :P I couldn't think of another name for the library, that's why their name is kind of weird (you'll get this after you read it lol) and I apologize for any errors. And I am so, so sorry about one of the characters near the end. I didn't know what to do with them, so I just changed them completely, gender and all. :P Hope you enjoy the chapter!**  
**Disclaimer: If I owned FMA, do you really think I'd be writing fanfiction?**

* * *

**_Chapter II: Setting A Routine_**

* * *

I try to snuggle deeper into the covers, but it's useless. I'm already awake. I pull down the blankets with a huff of defeat. I reach up and push my bangs back and out of my face. Rolling over onto my stomach, I notice a flash of color covering my alarm clock. I don't even think I set it last night...

Winry: I went ahead and left, I didn't care to wake you up. It's your first full day at Flamel! My scheduele starts at 7, yours starts at 10. Boo :P I get out earlier than you, though. So; set a routine.  
~Mei  
PS: I ate one of your poptarts :)

"You've gotta be kidding me." Pulling the yellow sticky note from the alarm clock, I crumple the note in my hand. Don't get me wrong, I'm gonna avenge my breakfast later, but I want to know what time it is. I definately don't want to be late for gym today. I hear the coach, Coach Armstrong, is a bitch, atleast in May and Lan's opinions.

I'm just going to take their word for it. Unfourtunately, I have neither of them for gym, so I'll be facing this alone.

Unless Riza has gym for first period... We got along pretty well in that workshop class yesterday.

The alarmclock reads 8 o'clock. Damn, I've got time to waste. I think I'm going to go check out the library, I don't know why, but I guess I just need something to help me burn time, like a book. Not one of those stupid old documentaries, though. Those would help me set a sleep routine, though.

I swing my legs over the side of my twin-sized bed, allowing my arms to stretchout as I let out a suppressed yawn. I rub my eye as I stand from the soft bed. I got everything organized and in place, with May's assistance.

I have white sheets on my bed, a soft blanket with a melow zebra pattern on it. It's not one of those over-done patterns, the ones that they usually put on bras and such. I swear, it's like I'm high on life or something! Maybe I should check out a book on that particular topic?

My small bed's frame is painted white, like my dresser and my side table, along with my two shelves and my desk. I have a poster of Evanescence hanging on the wall behind my bed, and I have tons of CDs on my shelves that hover above the bed. Along with those CDs is a picture of Gran and I, and a picture of Mom and Dad on the shelf below with a small stack of movies.

A white apple laptop sits on my desk, my MP3 rests on my bedside table, and my kindle sits ontop of my dresser. I know it seems super expensive, but after Mom and Dad died, a lot of things happened.

People are too sympathetic, and it only made me feel worse when all of this new costly stuff came into my life. My family had never been the richest, but it had always been one of the happiest.

My side of the room is bare compared to May's. A black and white checkered quilt, an extremely expensive black desktop resting on her desk. She doesn't have a bedside table, she keeps the alarm on her cellphone. Her dresser is black as well. But she has pictures of Hatsune Miku and many other posters. She said she and Ling's father owns a manufacturing company in Tokyo, Japan.

I didn't understand the whole,'panda obsession' until she explained she had a pet panda back home. I guess that also explains the small chibi stuffed panda that rests on her bed.

A small mini fridge rests next to the door.

We have a bathroom with an entrance on my side of the room. I walk into the bathroom, letting out a breath of air.

I busy myself with turning the knobs and putting in the stopper, adding a bit off bubbles to the mix just for the hell of it. I've got time.

I strip out of my tanktop and shorts, tossing them onto the floor carelessly. The only words that surface as I slide into the hot bath are synonyms of heavenly. I stay like that for a moment, enjoying the sensation of warm water swarming around my form.

Pulling myself into a sitting position, I reach back and grab my shampoo, squirting a dab of it into my palm.

My blond hair falls to my waist, my bangs always swept to the side. I've never really paid attention to my looks. But I guess I'm a bit pretty when I think about it, well, I'm not hideous.

I lather the sweet-smelling shampoo into my hair.

I have bright blue eyes that make me seem more innocent than I actually am. My skin is a light cream color, and I have to admit my body has filled out quite a bit. Full and perky breasts, a curvaceous and healthy build. I don't prefer to think much about my looks. What's the point?

I'll just get nervous and act like a shy little girl all day. But maybe that's because I am a shy little girl.

* * *

The academy's library is an extremely large addition to the school. Solid, dark brown bookcases line the walls in a spiral. The librarian's desk sits at the end of a row of ten tables, parted into five to form an isle from the door to the desk. Every once and a while, I run into a desktop sitting on a small table with the library search program. But I see many students gathered at tables typing quickly on laptops.

The first thing I'd done after I had crawled out of that refreshing bath was, of course, eat one of May's chocolate chip muffins.

Could I have gone to the school cafeteria? Yes. Did I? No.

I had pulled on a flowly navy blue tanktop and black combat boots. I'd decided to wear black jean shorts. I had also made the decision to keep my hair down today, despite my intense fear of being called out. And I had to bring that Flamel keychain to get access to the school's humongus book collection, and that rests on my hip. But I'm thankful that this school doesn't have a dress code.

No, that isn't saying that I can walk around flashing my goodies.

I had grabbed my MP3 off of my bedside as I was heading out of the door. And I've had my hot pink earbuds in my ears since. I would have broughten my actual headphones if I felt like I was going to actually stop and listen to a song in perfect, undisturbed peace. Let's just say that I didn't want to start a flash mob in the middle of the school library. Although it'd be hilariously funny watching the librarian, Mr. Homonculus, break dancing on the floor.

I've noticed a few kids calling him 'father,' like 'the father of the library' or something. But I'd never call him father. It'd be too weird, even for me.

And that's saying something.

_"All around the world, do you hear me? Do you like my body and a-"_

"If you don't want the answer, don't ask," A sarcastic voice whispers to me as they pluck an earbud from my ear.

My entire body tenses and I feel as though I'm paralyzed as I drop my book. I hadn't even realized I had quit humming to myself. I know that voice. Who does it belong to, who does it belong to? Damn it, Winry! You know the person?! Who is it?!

I look over my shoulder. Of course. God's way of punishing me for getting even with May. The first person I get to converse with just has to be Edward Elric.

Thank you, universe. You really know how to make a girl feel special, huh?

"Uh, uhm... I-It's a song!" I defend myself before I can stop myself. He shoots me that damned smile. It should be illegal to smile like that. It could cause car wrecks, fires, brain damage...

"I know," He says, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Oh! You dropped your book."

He makes a move to retreat it, but it flies up into my hands at the flick of my wrist. "I've got it."

Oh shit!

How snobby could that have sounded? Did I sound like a total bitch or a total flirt?! Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit! Why do I always have to do this kind of thing?! Hell, why don't I just use my abilites to strangle the memory out of him?! Oh, wait. Let me freak him out with my weirdness first! I'm such a damn idiot!

For a moment, when I look back up at him, I expect to see a 'bitch please' or 'awkward tramp' face plastered onto him. But I only find him giving me that friendly smile. Oh, god. Why must you punish me?

The memory of what had previously happened finally registers in my mind. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," I stay as I put the book back on the shelf. I turn back with a small smile.

But it doesn't last. The row of books tumbles over sideways, messing up the entire section of the bookshelf. "Crap," I mumble as I reach out to fix the fallen novels. But I'm stopped by a strong hand.

I look over my should with widened eyes. "My turn." He says as he waves his hand over the row of books, leaving a bright blue glow where his hand sweeps over. It's so pretty, the glow of radiant light. Holding up two fingers, he tilts his hand to the side, and I watch as the books follow the motion.

He stops abruptly, turning back to me with a smile. I must look like a child staring at a cartoon... But then, the books tumble back over. But instead of tilting sideways again, they fall off of the shelf completely.

I can tell this shocks Ed as well, since his shoulder jolt forward the second the first book of many hits the floor.

Looking down at the books in utter disgust, I hear him mutter a faint curse. He looks back up and I can see the lightest of blushes on his face. "There are moments when you try your hardest to help, and then there are moments when you say fuck this and get the hell away from the crime scene."

He then grabs my wrist and steers me away from that section of the library, scowling as I look back at the pile of books.

* * *

The sound of Coach Armstrong's whistle sends tremors down my spine. "Rockbell!"

My legs shake as I stand from the bleachers where the other lucky girls sit. I realize that I was a target the second I set foot into the large gym. Why else would the coach call on me now of all times?

A girl with short blond hair and grayish skin, I believe her name was Martel, is strolled out on a stretcher, being sent off to the nurse's office with a probably broken ankle.

"You're with Hawkeye," The coach says with a smirk, blue eyes dark and sinister.

Volleyball isn't meant to be a particularly 'dangerous' sport, but Flamel has an entirely different way of looking a it.

You have to climb a ladder up to around six feet off of the floor and climb onto a next that is turned sideways to hold you up. There are small cubes between each sliver of rope, making you stay on your toes to keep from placing your foot in one of the gaps. You can not be excused from the game unless you hit the floor or air bed beneath the net. The odds are that you'll hit the hard cement floor.

Your goal is to get the other team's flag placed all the way on the other side of the net. That almost makes up for the whole 'your life hanging in the balance' thing, right? No. Abilites are allowed. And if you're a weakling, you'd better hope your going to fall off before you get struck.

I begin to climb up the metal bars of the ladder.

We're all clad in a pair of red basketball shorts and a red tanktop, a black flamel symbol placed over the heart. My tennis shoes squeak as I reach the top. The second my foot meets the white rope, a large dome-like field covers the bleachers, keeping any harm from coming towards the other students.

Riza wears her hair in a low ponytail over her right shoulder. A bead of sweat trails from her hairline. She has yet to be tossed over since the beginning of the period, along with our two opponents.

We're the red team, they're the black team. Simple enough? I grab the white bandana and tie it around my wrist with fumbly fingers. Riza has tied her's around her head like a bandana.

For a moment, I wonder if anyone in the school can smell fear.

"Fifty second stradegy planning!"

Riza looks over her shoulder at me, wearing a very, very serious expression. "Okay, I've got Lust if you've got Scar." I give a nod, even though I'm not too terribly sure about this. "Just remember: block, strike, and weave. And try to stay close to the edge."

I hear the buzzer again, but I can't help but feel lost. Stay on the edge? How the hell is that going to help my case?! I guess it'd make it real easy for me to jump to my death before being strangled.

I take a glance at our opponents.

I instantly reconize Lust. Her long, wavy black hair is pulled into a high ponytail. She still wears red lipstick on her full lips. She doesn't look very strong, with a slender and curvy body, but if Riza insists on taking her on, she must be pretty dangerous. The other fights were so quick, I don't even think anyone has used their abilites yet.

"Line up!"

I stand at the opposite end of the net from Scar. I think it's short for Scarlet. I've never seen her before this class, I don't even think she showed up for lunch yesterday. She has fairly dark skin and strange, red eyes. Her hair is a frosty white, boy cut and casually falling over her eyes.

"And..."

My heart is racing. I'm going to fall off of the net. It's enevidable. I'm going to die. Oh, god. Gran, I am so sorry that I won't be coming home for Christmas break. I promise, I'll send you a letter telling you how weird it feels to have angel wings or devil horns.

"Fight!"

I don't have any time to think. Riza and I both dive towards the edge of the net in sync, running down the opposite sides. That's when I see it. A long, dagger-like claw shooting out towards Riza. She grabs hold of the claw and runs up it, straight towards Lust with a raised fist.

Scar throws a punch at me. Block, strike, and weave. My arms go up to block my face, but the punch strikes my ribcage. I fall back into the next, my left arm slipping through a cube. I find myself staring down at the spinning floor.

I flip onto my back, sending a foot upwards and into Scar's gut. Scar crouches over, holding herself as I make my way past her.

A dark hand grabs my ankle, causing me to topple over. Scar's above me, holding her fist at point blank, red eyes blazing with hate. I watch as her fist crashes towards me with such speed it makes the air crackle with electricity.

My hand comes up, grabbing the fist and trying to push it upwards. Scar is suddenly knocked off of me by a yellow blur. Riza stands before me, blond hair falling over one of her brown eyes. "Get the flag!"

I listen to her, hopping up and dashing towards the small object. It's in my reach, my fingertips about to touch it's plastic rod.

And then, out of the corner of my eye, I see a streak of black. I feel a rush of adrenaline. The blur stops right infront of my face, black claw shaking as it attempts to push towards me. My eyes widened. I've frozen her movements with my powers, paralyzed her with the power of my will alone. I reach out, plucking the flag from it's small stand.

Lust's brows have knitted together in frustration, still trying to slice the side of my left cheek.

"Gah!"

That's what her cry sounds like as she falls down and onto the matress below, her violet eyes widened with shock and horror as her claws punture the air bed. Scar's arms instantly fly up in surrender.

"Rockbell and Hawkeye... 80%. Lust and Scar... 65%," We hear a whoop of applause from the students occupying the bleachers. "And, Lust, I'll see you after class. You owe me 50 pushups for the matress."

The students roar as they rush over to us as we climb down the metal ladder. But as I'm being hoisted into the air alongside Riza, I catch a glance of the defeated girl on the deflated matress. A glare of violet-eyed hatred stares back into my joyful blues.

Looks like I've made my first enemy.


	3. The Animal Whisperer

**OMG, I've gotta get Mustang into the next chapter. :P A story about high school without Royai would be a story I wouldn't be happy with, lol. I'm actually really happy about how the last chapter turned out. My chapters would be longer if I had a better typing program, I'm still having to use WordPad :( If you have any suggestions on a good, FREE typing program, please leave a comment or something! Enjoy the chapter! :D R&R**  
**Disclaimer: No, I don't own FMA, sadly... :'(**

* * *

_**Chapter III: The Animal Whisperer**_

* * *

Just when I was finally starting to adjust to this damn school, this comes along.

I will admit, I've heard some weird stories since I've been here; Lust doing immoral things with teachers, a ghost haunting the teacher's lounge... Okay, I can believe the first one, but a ghost? Are you kidding me? Ling's gonna have to do better than that to scare me.

It all started about an hour ago, when I woke up to May shaking me awake with fear evident in her dark eyes. Me, being the person I am, was instantly concerned about my friend's well-being. Okay, after I slapped her and told her to be a woman... But that isn't the point right now!

She tugged me out into the hallway, still clad in my thin-strapped black tank-top and shorts, barefoot if I might add, only to find Ed and Al standing outside out dorm.

Oh, what an embarrassing situation that was. Ed was wearing a white t-shirt and black shorts, Alphonse wearing a navy blue top and grey pajama bottoms. Out of the four of us, only May and Alphonse were wearing shoes. Alphonse wearing plain black house shoes and May wearing some kind of panda-styled slippers that a kid would wear.

May herself had taken the time to brush her long hair, and she was wearing her panda-themed gown that came to her knees.

Each time the three of us asked her what was going on, she just shushed us and told us it was an emergency. Yet, she never decided to tell us just what that emergency was.

The corridors were dark and the only thing liting our way were the lanterns placed every three feet down the hall and the stars shining brightly outside with the full moon. But I did get to see a few thing that I hadn't since I've been here.

A long, bridge-like structure running from the academy to the boy's dormitory, which was outside and had large archways that let the breeze blow through it.

"Are you insane?! Do you know how much trouble we'll get into if we're caught?!" I'd whispered, well, hissed. There was no way I was going down like that. Caught in the boy's dormitory wearing my pajamas with two boys and another girl, in the middle of the night.

But all that resulted in was me being tossed over someone's shoulder against my will.

That someone was Ed. And I promise I'm going to get May back. I can tell she has a crush on Al, and I'm going to embarrass the shit out of her when I get the opportunity...

And, as if being carried by Ed wasn't humiliating enough, I was constantly thinking of how cute he is the whole time. And then I kept cursing myself in my mind for even thinking about that in the dilemma I was in. His hand was resting on my exposed thigh, keeping me on top of his shoulder as I continuously pleaded for him to put me back down.

My prayers were finally answered when we heard voices coming from down the hallway, in the direction we had just came. Instantly, we all began to freak out. May, arms flailing in the air around her in panic,"Scatter!"

Things flew by so quickly, I barley had time to register myself being lifted off of Ed's shoulder. I saw Al dart around the corner, and May had darted so quickly I didn't even know which direction she had went. I felt an arm wrap around my waist and then, I heard the sliding of stone, and I remember suddenly appearing in what looked like an extremely dark space. I remember hearing faint whispers of sorts walking past as our chests heaved, begging for air as we were practically molded together.

I knew the person was Ed, though.

Alphonse is only a few inches taller than I am, and May's tinier than me. Ed's at least a head taller than I am. But I remember holding onto his t-shirt with clutched fists as if the world were going to come crashing down around us.

It could have very well have. Getting kicked out of school, spending my life friendless and isolated at Gran's house, getting thrown back into that hell hole known as public society...

Then, Ed's raspy voice spoke in the darkness,"Ready?"

I had no idea what he'd meant by that. Ready to leave or ready to surrender to the teachers? I guessed I'd just have to trust him and nod my head against his well-built chest. And then, I heard it again, the grinding of stone. But this time, I felt it too. The walls seeming to part as Ed pulled me through the opening, leaving us basking in the moon's pearly light.

And here I am now.

Slowly releasing Ed from my tight grasp, peering around us to make sure the teachers are gone. I feel like a child, wondering if the monster under the bed is waiting for my hand to fall off of the mattress.

I throw myself back into Ed when I hear a crash behind me, my eyes screwing shut as he wraps an arm around me as if to block me. I hear a familiar cough.

Leaning away from Ed, I see Alphonse through my blond hair that now covers my face.

I reach up, brushing my bangs out of my face. "Damn it Al," Ed and I say in unison, staring at the other teen. Alphonse lets out a sigh of relief, letting his tense limbs relax.

I suddenly realize we're missing the one that got us into this mess. "May," I call out softly, waiting for the girl to call back. "May?!" My voice becomes more frantic when there isn't an answer. Alphonse and Edward instantly begin to turn around in opposite directions to go find the missing teen.

"Righ- uh- He-re!" I hear the broken fragments of May's speech come from my right. But the only thing to my right is the open, arch-like window.

I stare at the windowsill as if it were talking to me. I glance to my left and right. Ed and Al stare back at me, then glance at the window before switching their gaze back to me. I sweatdrop, narrowing my eyes. "My heroes," I mumble as I inch closer to the window, peering out. I let out a breath I'd been holding in when I find nothing. May's body isn't lying on the ground down below. I'm glad.

My nerves spike when I hear a voice come from the left. "Bout damn 'ime," May grunts as she clutches onto the wall with her nails. My eyes widen.

"What the hell May?! Are you suicidal or something?!"

"Help n-w. Tal- la-er."

We walk towards the edge of the campus grounds. "May, are you sure about this?" Al's voice says from behind us. I can't help but agree. She's yet to tell us where she's taking us, and it's at least one in the morning now.

"Come on, it's just in here."

And we follow behind May into the dark woods.

Moonlight shines through spaces in-between leaves and branches, casting an eerie yet beautiful look on the forest floor. I hear strange, animalistic noises as I admire the dark grass and moonlight's pattern. My heart skips a beat as I spot a pair of glowing red eyes. I feel a hand wrap on my upper arm, pulling me up from the ground as I continue to stare at the crimson orbs of light. "May," Ed says as he tugs me along. "You failed to mention it was deep enough in the woods that chimera would be stalking us," Ed points out.

May looks over at us with a weak smile. She looks as if she's gonna fall asleep if she stands in one place for too long. "Eh, it'll be okay. We'll be there any minute." She pushes another bundle of branches out of our path with what little strength she has left.

And she's right. I can see small flickers of light up ahead. I can understand why someone wouldn't build a fire; there's too much wildlife, there's too much of a risk of the smoke being seen, and there's no guarantee that the forest wouldn't burn down the second a little ember fell out of it. So I can understand why they'd bring flashlights...

May pushes the last of the branches aside, revealing two others sitting in a small, circular patch of grass.

Ling sits in his black trousers, topless and sitting with his arms crossed. Lan sits beside him, sitting with her jacket in her lap. She wears a thin, lime green sweater and grey sweat pants. She looks as if she's about to fall asleep as well, her head beginning to nod off.

"Lan," May hums, rubbing her eye with the back of her hand. Lan looks up with doughy eyes, feeling around in her lap for a moment before lifting the jacket up to may. She then slouches to her side, leaning onto Ling as sleep began to close in on her.

May opened the jacket further, holding it over the glow of the flashlight. Then, we saw it. A sign of movement.

A little black nose wedged itself into the small opening, and then, a small, black and white head. A kitten.

"You... brought us... all the way out here... for some...," I could tell my voice was breaking with anger. "Cat?!" May jumped back away from me, tossing the jacket to Al as she ran around the large flashlight, attempting to escape my wrath. I reach forward, nearly grabbing her silky locks of hair, when a strange noise draws everyone's attention to Al.

He stands nose-to-nose with the kitten, the animal's tiny paw resting on his cheek as it leaned into him. "It's not a cat, it's a chimera. A cat/panda chimera, I think..." May's squeal made my ears hurt. I could swear the high-pitched squeal echoed.

"I mimic voices and I can scream really, really loud. It's pretty lame. But it's enough to get me sent here, ya know?"

May's statement replays in my mind.

"What's a chimera?"

I watch as they all turn to stare at me, Ling and even Lan, who had just fallen asleep, staring up at me.

"A chimera is-" Alphonse pauses, pondering over the answer, definitely hoping for it to make sense without overdoing the explanation.

"A chimera is a mutated creature created by government scientists. They probably placed a radioactive sperm cell into a pregnant cat or panda. It's just what they do," Ed explained, his golden eyes glaring at his feet.

For a moment, I wonder about this. If the government created chimeras that easily, how easy would it be for them to place a mutated sperm into a pregnant human female? I shake my head with frustration, watching Ed, who's unique eyes are still downcast.

"But it's a tame chimera," May comments joyfully, looking at over at Al.

Al lowers the jacket, the kitten now perched on his shoulder, purring as it rubs against his neck. "It's a baby chimera, May," He says, as if trying to remind her of that fact.

"So...," She chirps. In that instance, I know what she's expecting before she even finishes her sentence.

"No," I say quickly, my arms held out in front of me as if for emphasis.

"No? But it's just a-"

"No! No! No!"

"Come on, Winry! It could stay in our dor-"

"Your thinking of putting that little beast in our dorm?! Not no but hell no!"

"But it's just a baby!"

"But it's also just a chimera thing! What happens if someone catches that thing in our room, May?! We could get into serious trouble!"

"Not if we keep it in our dorm."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"N-"

"Okay," Edward says, stepping between us to cut off out lightning-like glares. "Alphonse?"

Al looks over at us with widened eyes. "Oh, uh... W-well, it's only a baby. And it's extremely rare to find a chimera that doesn't actually look like an actual beast," He glances in my direction. I knew it was a little beastie... "It's in great condition, perfectly healthy. Chimera's aren't relatively 'hard' to train, either. This one seems like it's already trained, at least a bit. It should know to go outside to do it's business and whatnot. And it may be safer to take it back to the school. Chimeras have a strange habit of eating their young. I'm surprised it's lasted this long out here..."

May switches her softened gaze onto me, hope glistening in her dark eyes. Crossing my arms and pinching the bridge of my nose, I screw my eyes shut. Damn it, Winry. You're just too nice.

"May, I swear-"

"Yeah!" She grabs the chimera from Al's hold, twirling with it in her arms.

"Hold on a damn minute!"

"Yeah, yeah," She waves a hand in my direction carelessly. "One mistake, it's out." The others, who are still awake, laugh at the mocking tone in her voice. I scowl.

"We," Ling stands up, Lan laying limply against him, taking small breaths of night air. He motions to all of us. "Need to get back. It's not gonna be pretty if we're late."

May stops in mid-twirl.

"Oh, I guess you're right...," She says quietly.

Is she actually going to leave that little demon here? Have my prayers been answered?!

"Let's go!" She yelped cheerfully, pumping a fist in the air for emphasis.

Of course not.

I let out a yawn, covering my mouth with my palm.

When did I get back to the dorm?

I glance around, my vision still blurry with sleep.

My right leg hangs limply off of the bed, along with my right hand.

Shit.

I bolt upwards, my nimble fingers scrambling to get a hold on the alarm clock. I stare at the screen. 9:13. How the hell am I supposed to get fixed into a routine if May keeps me out all night? And by out, I mean outdoors.

My eyes widen as the word surfaces. Outdoors. Woods. Chimera. Lan. Ling. Al. Ed. Cat.

My eyes narrow.

Cat.

I scan the room for any other signs of life. Could that all have been some really, really twisted nightmare? Frankly, I wouldn't mind more machete-serial killer dreams more often if that was the case. I let out a sigh of relief when I don't find any other source of life. I feel relief and absolute silence wash over me, leaving me with hunched shoulders and closed eyes.

I feel something nudge my lower back and I freeze. Something is crawling up my shirt. Something is crawling up my shirt. Something is crawling up my shirt!

"Aie!"

I spring out of bed, my body shaking uncontrollably as I try to reach behind my back, hoping to grab whatever the hell that was.

My nerves are on fire now, sending a tingling down my spine. I slam against the door of our room, sinking down slightly. My chest heaves up and down, lungs burning and begging for air.

"What... The... Fuck..." That's all I can mutter between pants.

I stare at the bed, my heart racing. Oh, god. It's moving under the covers! My covers! What would Gran do?

"Winry, suck in your gut and be a woman for god's sake!"

Okay, Gran has never been awarded for her 'inspirational quotes.' It's just better to stick with the moral of the thing, if it even has one, and try to cope with the damn situation. In this case, it's facing whatever the hell that thing is crawling under my covers. But Winry logic says otherwise.

Winry logic is telling me to stay the hell away, scream for help when needed, and panic. Panic like my life depends on it, which it may very well depend on it, if that thing under the covers is actually a giant monster that can shrink down or something...

Focus, Winry!

I feel something soft and furry brush against my bare leg.

"Ahh!"

I slam my head against the door, making my brain rattle from the force. I can't believe I spent enough time questioning this that the thing jumped off of the bed and made it's way to me.

I don't care to see what it is. I've already made it out of the door and into the hallway, standing on shaky legs.

The hallway is abandoned. Just me and the creature.

I cower, shielding my face with my arms.

If I am going to die today, please, lord. Please. Please strike Lust with Lightning and have Edward die wifeless and let me haunt May.

"Heh, looks like someone just came back from Crazyville. Next stop: Lunatic City."

I peek out from between my fingers. I see long strands of hair. Violet eyes.

Oh shit.

I'm talking to a Homunculus.


	4. Worst Enemy's Brother

**Sorry for any errors... R&R... Same program people! .3. Oh, and I'm going to only use characters from the actual FMA plot. All of the characters I mention are from FMA! Some you'll reconize... Others not so much. If I gender-bend them, which probably won't be likely ANYMORE, odds are that I'll tell you. ;) Just going to tell you: There was a girl in Madame Christmas' bar that walked up to Roy and he called her 'Vanessa.' Just sayin...**

**Disclaimer: If I owned FMA, it'd probably be some soap opera by now. Since it's not, I guess I don't own it, lol. (I HATE SOAP OPERAS, IT WAS JUST ME BEING WEIRD PEOPLE!)**

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**_Chapter IV: Worst Enemy's Brother_**

* * *

I stare up at the fellow teenager, my entire form struck with bewilderment, anxiety, and hatred all at once. What the hell will happen now? Will all of those Homunculi freaks come out of nowhere to kick my ass or something?

I've finally uncovered my face, staring up at him; or her. I never took the time to find out, to be honest. It's not something that comes up naturally in a conversation. "Hey, you see that guy over there? Are they actually a guy or are they girl?" Heh, that's a big fat hell no. Even Alphonse would laugh at me, and he's currently my number one vote for nicest guy I've ever met. Ed and Ling pick on me too much.

In his hand, he holds a black and white-spotted kitten by it's back. The kitten didn't look too terribly stunned, instead attempting to lick or nibble on the teen's fingers.

"You're the new girl, right? Windy, right?"

I cock an eyebrow, pulling myself to my feet with a huff of annoyance. "Winry," I correct him, glaring at him from the corner of my eye.

"Okay, Winry. Just 'cause you don't like Lust doesn't mean you've gotta hate me, too."

I don't know why, but this rubs me the wrong way. It's like he's purposely trying to get on my nerves! "I never said I did," I shoot back as I dust myself off.

"But that's what you're thinking."

"So what, are you a telepath or something?"

"Nah. That's far too perplexing for my liking."

"Well, go do whatever the hell it is you do," I snatch the kitten from him, letting in crawl onto my shoulder. Am I actually getting pissed off this easily? Not only that, but enough to let a cat crawl on me? The cat that gave me the scare of my life last night and only moments before. "Leave me alone. Okay, uh-"

"My name's Envy, and, for the record, you should be grateful," He points out as I begin to turn the knob of my door.

"Oh really? Why's that? It's not like you're some god or something," I say with a laugh as I begin to turn, the kitten perched on my shoulder; which happens to be fucking annoying considering those claws on it.

"You've got a point there... But then again," He pauses, and I can see a wide smirk tugging on the corners of his lips from the corner of my eye. "Pets are a violation of the rules. You could get in serious trouble if you get caught with a little beastie like that... Maybe even expelled."

I pause, so quickly I believe that my heart would have if that were possible. The voice isn't his. It's someone I hate even more. Lust. My blue eyes quickly lock onto her form. My fist flies out to sock her right in the face, but she expertly ducks, dodging it with expertise. I watch at her skin seems to peel back.

The skin peels away into Envy. He does a flip and lands on his feet, arms crossed. A little acrobat, huh? And a shapeshifter. I should have known. "What makes you think I need your help?!"

I'm well aware of how childish I must sound, getting worked up over something I should be grateful for. He doesn't owe me anything. And people are only nice when they want something. I've learned that from personal experience.

"Because you know that there's no guarantee that my sister won't find out about it, and you know that she wouldn't hesitate to report you. She'd love to see you walking home. Completely helpless. Your only chance to be 'normal' completely stripped from you. Outcast in the worst possible way."

"I'm not normal!"

"Exactly. This is as normal as it gets for people like us."

The words sting. Burn. Like acid.

* * *

I'm tossed back into my middle school class, staring at the question on my test. I can hear the gentle pitter-patter of rain gently crashing onto the windowsill. Ms. Vanessa draws a picture of a plant in green chalk, all while humming gentle to herself. Eight grade is a fucking hell hole. No doubt.

I feel a gentle tap on my elbow, the one that my head rested on. I turn to look at the person. It's little Rose Thomas. Her mom let her dye her hair a different color. Gran's too strict. I can't blame her. Who'd let their child dye their hair strawberry red? She sticks a piece of pink-tinted notebook paper in the crook of my arm before quickly sitting back in her desk, just as Ms. Vanessa turns to give a smile to the class. The teacher turns a page in her textbook before turning to doodle on the board a bit more.

I unfold the paper, hiding it with my arm.

We're doing a presentation today! ;P

She dots her 'i's with hearts. Typical Rose...

"Okay, let's see..." Ms. Vanessa's soothing voice reaches my ears, promting me to crumble the note and thump it off of my desk, only for the tiny paper to fly down to the cold, tiled floor silently. "Winry! Oh, and Brosh!"

Brosh is a boy in our class, who has somewhat messy blond hair that falls from side to side on his forehead. He's a teacher's pet.

The teacher instantly hands me a sheet of paper. 'Newton's Second Law of Motion.' I guess I'm going to be the reader and Brosh will be the representation. Eh, I've always been good at presenting projects anyways.

Ms. Vanessa hands Brosh a pitcher of water. But Brosh's clumsy hands don't have a firm grip on the handle.

I tumble back just as the water begins spilling from the large pitcher, heading straight for my jeans. Something between pain and utter rapture hits my mind, fogging the edges. And then, I open my eyes. I hadn't even realized they were closed...

My heart sinks. The water that came out of Brosh's pitcher floats in mid-air. Oh god...

"Freak!"

A voice comes from the back of the classroom. And then it turns into a chorus of chants.

"Weirdo!"

"Monster!"

"Mutant!"

* * *

I hear the mewl of a kitten directly into my ear. Damn cat. I glare at the teen before me, my eyes narrowed and arms now crossed. I wait. I wait for a clever come back. I wait for the next statement. The one that practically decides my fate now. The decision that'll decide if I'll be at this school tomorrow or not. The choice that'll decide if I ever have any friends again.

He suddenly turns, carrying that smirk with him.

"Training Prep. Room 72. Midnight. Don't be late."

I stare blankly at the violet-eyed teen as he struts off down the hallway, not caring to glance back at me. But a single tingle of fuery ignites inside me as he calls his goodbye over his shoulder.

"Watch where ya step, Windy."


End file.
